Apollo Quiboloy attends the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality's inquiry on Oct. 23, 2024 into his reported abuses. Senate PRIB

MANILA — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday finally had the opportunity to directly ask Pastor Apollo Quiboloy on the abuses he allegedly did to women and children members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), the religious group he founded.

• No formal request yet for Quiboloy extradition to US, says DFA

After a months-long pause, the Senate Committee on Women and Children resumed its probe into Quiboloy's alleged abuses, with the disgraced pastor finally present along with "witness-survivors" eager to confront him.

After the panel heard the testimonies of former KOJC members who detailed their experiences with Quiboloy, Hontiveros directly asked him: "Sinexually abuse nyo ba ang mga babae at mga menor de edad at ginamit nyo ba ang relihiyon para i-sexually abuse sila?"

Quiboloy denied the accusations and dared the victims to file cases before a court.

• Who is Apollo Quiboloy?

"Wala pong katotohanan yung kanilang mga sinabi, kung meron po silang mga charges na kriminal sa akin, malaya po silang mag file ng kaso at doon ko haharapin at sasagutin sa tamang forum sa korte ng ating lupa, tulad ng kinakaharap namin ngayon," he said.

According to testimonies gathered by police last month, Quiboloy, the self-appointed "Son of God," would allegedly tell his victims, some as young as 12 years old, that they are "still pure and intact" after the sexual abuse, invoking the "spirit of God."

Aside from sexual assault disguised as a spiritual order, Quiboloy's church was also accused of subjecting its members to physical "torture" such as "dry fasting" that supposedly lasted for several months.

• Ex-KOJC member recalls sexual abuse, months-long fasting 'to slowly kill me'

But Quiboloy again denied having a policy on such extended fasting. 

"Hindi rin po polisiya ng kingdom ang pagparusa ng tao [gamit ang] fasting para mamatay," he said.

He said, however, that fasting among their members was voluntary.

"Sa freedom of religion po natin, meron tayong separation of church at state at tulad ng sinabi ko, yung fasting ay voluntary kung tatanggapin mo, hindi po pinipilit," he said.

The Senate panel hearing is still ongoing.

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